Marine toilet with dispenser

ABSTRACT

In combination with a marine toilet provided with a bowl, a trap at the bottom of the bowl, a discharge line connected to the trap, a flush line connected to the top of the bowl and a pump for supplying clean water to the flush line and withdrawing effluent from the trap through the discharge line; a valveactuated dispensing assembly, operation of which is initiated by flushing the toilet to transfer two tablets, each of a different chemical composition which, by chemical interaction in the effluent, render it innocuous, from a canister of such tablets wherein the tablets are kept separated from each other and to maintain them separate from each other until they enter the flow passage from the trap to the discharge line.

United States Patent 1 1 Tufts et al.

[ Oct. 15, 1974 1 MARINE TOILET WITH DISPENSER [75] Inventors: Wesley M. Tufts, Holliston; James H. Albertassi, Braintree, both of Mass.

[73] Assignee: Nautron Corporation, Braintree,

Mass.

[22] Filed: Oct. 19, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 299,177

[52] US. Cl 4/224, 4/115, 4/222, 4/225 [51] Int. Cl E0311 9/02, E03d 9/03 [58] Field of Search 4/10, 115, 109, 222-232 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 713,978 11/1902 Gallagher 4/223 721,909 3/1903 2,591,817 4/1907 2,950,959 8/1960 Relle 4/222 X 3,290,698 12/1966 Joyner et al. 4/228 Primary Examiner-Henry K. Artis Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Dike, Bronstein, Roberts,

Cushman & Pfund [57] ABSTRACT In combination with a marine toilet provided with a bowl, a trap at the bottom of the bowl, a discharge line connected to the trap, a flush line connected to the top of the bowl and a pump for supplying clean water to the flush line and withdrawing effluent from the trap through the discharge line; a valve-actuated dispensing assembly, operation of which is initiated by flushing the toilet to transfer two tablets, each of a different chemical composition which, by chemical inter action in the effluent, render it innocuous, from a canister of such tablets wherein the tablets are kept separated from each other and to maintain them separate from each other until they enter the flow passage from the trap to the discharge line.

15 (Ilaims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED BET I 5 I974 SHEEI 1 0F 2 -I"'lll FIG! FIG?) FIGZ - 1 MARINE TOILET WITI-I DISPENSER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The use of chemical materials in conjunction with marine toilets for the purpose of rendering the effluent innocuous is well-known. Such materials have been added in the form of liquids or tablets introduced into the effluent and because of their chemical nature tend over a course of time to corrode the apparatus by means of which they are introduced. The purpose of this invention is to provide a dispensing assembly which may be used in conjunction with a marine toilet for supplying two chemically inert materials when independent of each other which, when combined, react chemically to render the effluent innocuous and to supply these materials from a canister in which they are maintained separate from each other to the path of the effluent material as it travels from the trap through the discharge in response to initiation of the flushing cycle.v

SUMMARY As herein illustrated the invention comprises, in combination with a marine toilet having a bowl, a trap at the bottom of the bowl connected to a discharge line, a flush line for delivering fresh water to the top of the bowl to effect flushing and means for initiating the flushing operation; of a receptacle from which pairs of separately maintained tablets of different chemical composition are adapted to be dispensed, means associated with the receptacle and discharge line adapted in one position to gravitationally receive a pair of tab-' lets from the receptacle and in another position to deliver the tablets to the discharge line, and means operable by flushing the toilet to effect movement of said second means from the one position to the other and back to the one position to deliver a pair of tablets to the discharge line at the time of flushing and to receive a pair of tablets ready for the next flushing cycle. The aforesaid means is in the form of a manifold block containing a passage connected at its ends to the trap and discharge line such that effluent flushed from the bowl passes through it, a shuttle mounted in the manifold block, said shuttle containing a pocket movable from one position to another and back to the one position, and means operable by flushing the toilet to effect such reciprocable movement of the shuttle, said block containing an opening in communication with the pocket in the shuttle at the one position through which tablets are adapted to be gravitationally delivered to the shuttle and an opening in which the pocket in the shuttle at the other position places the pocket in communication with said passage for gravitationally depositing the tablets into said passage. The opening from the receptacle to the pocket is divided medially into two passages and the pocket is divided medially to keep the tablets separate from each other until they are deposited into the flow passage of the effluent. There is means for oscillating the shuttle from one position to the other comprising a solenoid, operation of which is initiated by flushing the toilet. The manifold has associated with it a receptacle which is in communication with the chamber for holding a canister of tablets, the latter having an opening in its periphery through which the tablets are adapted to gravitationallyleave the canister and enter the pocket when the discharge opening is aligned with the opening in the shuttle. There is a cover provided The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a marine toilet constructed according to this invention with a dispensing assembly for dispensing chemical materials into the effluent as it is discharged for the purpose of rendering it innocuous;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of a canister for containing tablets of chemical composition different from each other which, when separate, are inert and which, when combined, react chemically to produce a material which will render the effluent innocuous showing the canister broken away in part;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the canister;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1, to much larger scale', showing the dispensing assembly for the chemical tablets with the dispensing valve in its closed position; and v FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section of that portion of the assembly containing the valve showing the valve in its open position.

The chemical toilet, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises essentially a bowl 10 to the bottom of which is connected a trap 12, a discharge line 14 connected to the trap through which the effluent is discharged by way of a decontaminating tank overboard and a flush line 16 through which fresh water is delivered to the top of the bowl for flushing. There is a pump (not shown) for supplying fresh water to the bowl through the flush line and withdrawing it from the trap through the discharge line, operationof which is initiated by a flush button. The pump and control for the pump are shown in our pending application Ser. No. 176,0l0, filed Aug. 30, 1971 to which reference may be had and so are not described herein.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a dispensing assembly indicated generally at 18 (FIGS. 1 and 4) for supplying tablets of a chemical material into the flow passage of the effluent as itleaves the trap 12 through the discharge line 14 to adecontamination tank (not shown) where it is temporarily retained until it is rendered innocuous and then is discharged through a continuation of the discharge line 14 overboard. The dispensing assembly, as shown specifically in FIG. 4, comprises a manifold block 20 containing a chamber 22 in which there is rotatably mounted a shuttle 24 containing a pocket 26. The manifold contains a passage 28 open at its opposite ends, the ends of which are adapted to be connected, respectively, to a flange 30 on the trap'and to the discharge line 14. This passage 28 is connected by an opening 32 to the chamber 22.

The manifold has mounted on it a receptacle 34 which has at its bottom an opening 36 into the chamber 22 which is arcuately spaced from the opening 32.

The shuttle valve 24 is adapted to be oscillated in the chamber 22 from a position in which the pocket 26 is aligned with the opening 36 to a position in which it is aligned with the opening 32 and back to the first position by means of a solenoid S mounted in a chamber 38 provided in the block and is operably connected to the shuttle valve by a plunger 40. The solenoid is energized by flushing the toilet.

The receptacle 34 is designed to receive a canister 42 which, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, is a flat circular carton 44 divided intermediate its parallel walls 46-46 by a partition 48. The peripheral wall 50 contains an opening 52 through which the tablets are adapted to be discharged, the opening being normally covered by a sealing strip 54 until the canister is deposited in the receptacle 34. Just before the canister is placed in the receptacle the tear strip is removed, the canister is mounted in the receptacle and rotated to bring the opening 52 into alignment with the opening 36 at the bottom and in this position the tablets are free to gravitationally drop through the opening into the pocket 26 in the shuttle as shown in FIG. 4. The canister may have reference marks on its peripheral surface which, when aligned with reference marks on the receptacle, indicate that the opening 52 is aligned with the opening 36, such reference marks being indicated at b-b. The partition 48 in the canister keeps the tablets in the two sides of the canister separate from each other so that they will not interact so long as they remain in the receptacle. To keep the tablets separated until deposited in the passage 28 the opening 36 contains a medial dividing wall 37 which divides it into two passages and the pocket in the shuttle is divided into two compartments by a medial divider wall 56. The tablets are first brought together when they are dropped from the shuttle into the passage 28, when the shuttle is moved to the position shown in FIG. 5, through the opening 32 into the passage 28 and are conducted together with the effluent through the discharge passage 14 into the decontamination tank. The pump unit by means of which the effluent is conducted into the decontaminating tank includes, as shown in the aforesaid application, a macerator which pulverizes the tablets thus insuring complete mixing of the chemical compounds with each other and with the effluent.

The receptacle 34 is maintained moisture-proof by separated from each other until the moment of use so that when they interact they have cleared the dispensing mechanism and are mixed with the effluent and in accordance with the Federal and State pollution re quirements insure safe treatment of the effluent before it is discharged by preventing flushing the toilet either by means of depletion of all of the tablets or in the absence of one or more of the tablets caused by jamming within the canister from which they are dispensed.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The combination with a marine toilet comprising a bowl, a trap at the bottom of the bowl connected to a discharge line, a flush line for delivering clean water to gravitationally deliver the tablets to the dischargeline, and means operable by flushing the toilet to effect movement of said second means from the one position to the other and back to the one position to deliver a pair of tablets to the discharge line at the time of flushing and to receive a fresh pair of tablets ready for the next flushing operation. I l

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first means is adapted to maintain the tablets of the pairs of tablets which gravitate thereto separate from each other until gravitationally discharged therefrom to said discharge line.

3. The combination with a marine toilet comprising a bowl, a trap at the bottom of the bowl connected to a discharge line, a flush line for delivering clean water to the top of the bowl to effect flushing, and means for 1 initiating the flushing operation; of a manifold block means of a top or cap 58 applied to the open top with a sealing gasket 60. To prevent moisture from gaining access to the canister through the bottom opening in the receptacle there is a sealing gasket 62 mountedin the manifold block between the openings 32 and 36 which, by engagement with the surface of the shuttle, forms a seal which prevents moisture from passing from the opening 32 to the opening 56 in either position of the shuttle.

it is necessary to proper innocuation of the effluent that there be two tablets dropped into the passage at the lower part of the manifold each time the toilet is flushed since one tablet alone will not react except in the presence of the other and so there are two'switches 64-64 and'switch elements 66-66 arranged one in each of the two passages 37-37 so as to detect the presence or absence of tablets ready to drop into the pocket 26. in the absence of a tablet from either side of the canister the switch which fails to be depressed will renderthe apparatus inoperative so that a flushing cycle cannot be initiated.

The dispensing assembly as thus constructed and operated enables using tablets of different chemical composition which independently of each other are substantially inert and so not destructive of the apparatus with which they are used and of maintaining the tablets containing a passage connected at its ends to the trap and discharge line such that effluent flushed from the bowl passes through it, a shuttle mounted in the manifold block, said shuttle containing a pocket movable from one position to another and back to the one position, and means operablerby flushing the toilet to effect such reciprocable movement of the shuttle, said block containing an opening in communication with the pocket in the shuttle at the one position through which tablets are adapted to be gravitationally delivered to the shuttle and an opening in communication with the pocket in the shuttle at the other position, placing the pocket in communication with said passage for gravitationally dropping the tablets into said passage.

4. Apparatus according. to claim 3, wherein said pocket is partitioned and said opening is partitioned to maintain the tablets of a pair of tablets gravitationally delivered to the pocket in the shuttle through said opening separate from each other until they are discharged from the pockets into said passage.

5. The combination with a marine toilet comprising a bowl, a trap at the bottom of the bowl connected to a discharge line, a flush line for delivering clear water to the top of the bowl to effect flushing, and means for initiating the flushing of the bowl; of a manifold block containing a passage connected at its ends to the trap and discharge line, a chamber in the block containing a first opening into which tablets are adapted to be gravitationally deposited from a suitable source, and a second opening in communication with said passage, a shuttle valve mounted in the chamber, said shuttle valve containing a pocket which when disposed in alignment with said first opening is adapted to receive tablets therefrom and when disposed in alignment with said second opening to drop the tablets into said passage, and means for effecting oscillation of the shuttle valve in the chamber from one position to the other and back.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said first opening contains a dividing partition for separately guiding the tablets deposited therein, and said pocket contains a dividing partition for receiving the tablets separately and maintaining them separately from each other until dropped into said passage.

7. The combination with a marine toilet comprising a bowl, a trap at the bottom of the bowl connected to a discharge line, a flush line for delivering clear water to the top of the bowl to effect flushing, and means for initiating flushing of the bowl; of a manifold block containing a passage connected at its ends to the trap and discharge line, a chamber in the block, a first opening from the chamber to said passage, a receptacle within which a quantity of tablets are adapted to be stored, a second opening from the chamber to the receptacle, a shuttle valve rotatably mounted in the chamber having a pocket therein, and means for effecting reciprocation of the shuttle valve to move the pocket from a position in alignment with the second opening to a position in alignment with the first opening and back to the second opening.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein there is a dividing wall in the receptacle dividing the receptacle into two separate compartments within which tablets of different chemical composition are stored, wherein said second opening from the chamber to the receptacle is divided medially into two passages through which tablets in the two compartments are adapted to gravitate from the receptacle to the pocket, and wherein said pocket is divided medially to receive two tables and hold them separate from each other until they are deposited by rotation of the shuttle valve into alignment with said first position.

9. The combination with a marine toilet comprising a bowl, a trap at the bottom of the bowl connected to a discharge line, a flush line for delivering clean water to the top of the bowl to effect flushing, and means for initiating flushing of the bowl; of a manifold block containing a passage connected at its ends to the trap and discharge line, a chamber in the block, a first opening connecting the chamber to said passage, a receptacle mounted on the manifold in communication with the chamber through a second opening therein arcuately spaced from the first opening, a shuttle valve in the chamber containing a pocket adapted to receive pairs of tablets from the receptacle, and means connected to the shuttle valve for effecting reciprocal movement thereof from said second opening to the first and back to the second.

W. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the receptacle has a top opening adapted to receive a canister of tablets containing a discharge opening in its peripheral edge through which pairs of tablets are adapted to gravitate when said discharge opening is in alignment with said second opening in the chamber.

lil. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a cover is applied to the top opening with a moisturetight seal. v

12. Apparatus faccording'to claim ltl, wherein the canister has a medially arranged dividing wall which provides two chambers therein within which tablets of different chemical composition are maintained separate from each other, and wherein said second passage and the pockets in the shuttle valveare partitioned to receive tablets from the canister and to maintain them separately from each other until they are discharged into said passage.

13;. The combination according to claim 10, wherein the discharge opening in the canister is initially covered by a tear strip which is adapted to be removed when the canister is placed in the receptacle to permit tablets to flow through the discharge opening when said discharge opening is aligned with said second opening in the chamber.

M. The combination according to claim 9, wherein there are sensing elements arranged in said second opening operable in the absence of one or both tablets to prevent initiating the flushing operation.

15. The combination according to claim 9, wherein there is a sealing element in the chamber intermediate said openings cooperable with the shuttle valve to seal the one opening from the other in each of the two positions of the shuttle valve. 

1. The combination with a marine toilet comprising a bowl, a trap at the bottom of the bowl connected to a discharge line, a flush line for delivering clean water to the top of the bowl to effect flushing, and means for initiating flushing of the bowl; of a receptacle from which pairs of separately maintained tablets of different composition are adapted to be dispensed, means associated with the receptacle and discharge line adapted in one position to gravitationally receive a pair of tablets from the receptacle and in the other position to gravitationally deliver the tablets to the discharge line, and means operable by flushing the toilet to effect movement of said second means from the one position to the other and back to the one position to deliver a pair of tablets to the discharge line at the time of flushing and to receive a fresh pair of tablets ready for the next flushing operation.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first means is adapted to maintain the tablets of the pairs of tablets which gravitate thereto separate from each other until gravitationally discharged therefrom to said discharge line.
 3. The combination with a marine toilet comprising a bowl, a trap at the bottom of the bowl connected to a discharge line, a flush line for delivering clean water to the top of the bowl to effect flushing, and means for initiating the flushing operation; of a manifold block containing a passage connected at its ends to the trap and discharge line such that effluent flushed from the bowl passes through it, a shuttle mounted in the manifold block, said shuttle containing a pocket movable from one position to another and back to the one position, and means operable by flushing the toilet to effect such reciprocable movement of the shuttle, said block containing an opening in communication with the pocket in the shuttle at the one position through which tablets are adapted to be gravitationally delivered to the shuttle and an opening in communication with the pocket in the shuttle at the other position, placing the pocket in communication with said passage for gravitationally dropping the tablets into said passage.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said pocket is partitioned and said opening is partitioned to maintain the tablets of a pair of tablets gravitationally delivered to the pocket in the shuttle through said opening separate from each other until they are discharged from the pockets into said passage.
 5. The combination with a marine toilet comprising a bowl, a trap at the bottom of the bowl connected to a discharge line, a flush line for delivering clear water to the top of the bowl to effect flushing, and means for initiating the flushing of the bowl; of a manifold block containing a passage connected at its ends to the trap and discharge line, a chamber in the block containing a first opening into which tablets are adapted to be gravitationally deposited from a suitable source, and a second opening in communication with said passage, a shuttle valve mounted in the chamber, said shuttle valve containing a pocket which when disposed in alignment with said first opening is adapted to receive tablets therefrom and when disposed in alignment with said second opening to drop the tablets into said passage, and means for effecting oscillation of the shuttle valve in the chamber from one position to the other and back.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said first opening contains a dividing partition for separately guiding the tablets deposited therein, and said pocket contains a dividing partition for receiving the tablets separately and maintaining them separately from each other until dropped into said passage.
 7. The combination with a marine toilEt comprising a bowl, a trap at the bottom of the bowl connected to a discharge line, a flush line for delivering clear water to the top of the bowl to effect flushing, and means for initiating flushing of the bowl; of a manifold block containing a passage connected at its ends to the trap and discharge line, a chamber in the block, a first opening from the chamber to said passage, a receptacle within which a quantity of tablets are adapted to be stored, a second opening from the chamber to the receptacle, a shuttle valve rotatably mounted in the chamber having a pocket therein, and means for effecting reciprocation of the shuttle valve to move the pocket from a position in alignment with the second opening to a position in alignment with the first opening and back to the second opening.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein there is a dividing wall in the receptacle dividing the receptacle into two separate compartments within which tablets of different chemical composition are stored, wherein said second opening from the chamber to the receptacle is divided medially into two passages through which tablets in the two compartments are adapted to gravitate from the receptacle to the pocket, and wherein said pocket is divided medially to receive two tables and hold them separate from each other until they are deposited by rotation of the shuttle valve into alignment with said first position.
 9. The combination with a marine toilet comprising a bowl, a trap at the bottom of the bowl connected to a discharge line, a flush line for delivering clean water to the top of the bowl to effect flushing, and means for initiating flushing of the bowl; of a manifold block containing a passage connected at its ends to the trap and discharge line, a chamber in the block, a first opening connecting the chamber to said passage, a receptacle mounted on the manifold in communication with the chamber through a second opening therein arcuately spaced from the first opening, a shuttle valve in the chamber containing a pocket adapted to receive pairs of tablets from the receptacle, and means connected to the shuttle valve for effecting reciprocal movement thereof from said second opening to the first and back to the second.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the receptacle has a top opening adapted to receive a canister of tablets containing a discharge opening in its peripheral edge through which pairs of tablets are adapted to gravitate when said discharge opening is in alignment with said second opening in the chamber.
 11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a cover is applied to the top opening with a moisture-tight seal.
 12. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the canister has a medially arranged dividing wall which provides two chambers therein within which tablets of different chemical composition are maintained separate from each other, and wherein said second passage and the pockets in the shuttle valve are partitioned to receive tablets from the canister and to maintain them separately from each other until they are discharged into said passage.
 13. The combination according to claim 10, wherein the discharge opening in the canister is initially covered by a tear strip which is adapted to be removed when the canister is placed in the receptacle to permit tablets to flow through the discharge opening when said discharge opening is aligned with said second opening in the chamber.
 14. The combination according to claim 9, wherein there are sensing elements arranged in said second opening operable in the absence of one or both tablets to prevent initiating the flushing operation.
 15. The combination according to claim 9, wherein there is a sealing element in the chamber intermediate said openings cooperable with the shuttle valve to seal the one opening from the other in each of the two positions of the shuttle valve. 